Tramore: people-friendly meeting coupled with great social occasion
With a variety of social events running alongside the traditionally excellent racing fare, the festival is one of the few events in Irish racing in recent years to have shown continuous growth.
Last year the attendance at the meeting were up a massive 28% on the 2003 festival and organisers are hopeful for a repeat of that success.
There will, however, be a note of poignancy on Friday evening when a horse belonging to the late Dick Forristal is expected to run.
Mr Forrestal was murdered several weeks ago, but the well-known breeder and owner whose lands almost border the race track itself is expected to be represented by Blue Corrig, a former winner of the Ulster Derby and who is trained by Joe Crowley at nearby Piltown in Co. Kilkenny.
“Dick’s death shocked us all,” says Tramore spokesperson Sue Phelan, “so it will be very emotional if his horse were to run and win.”
She also pointed out that another man who has had a tremendous association with Tramore races over the years is the legendary Paddy Mullins, who retired from training earlier this year.
A special presentation will be made to the Goresbridge handler, a visitor to the track since the 1940’s, when he won for the first time as a jockey aboard a horse called Some Chicken.
“Mr Mullins, of course, is perhaps best remembered as the trainer of the great Dawn Run, the only horse to have completed a Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle double. Dawn Run was owned locally in Waterford by the late Charmain Hill, whose son Jeremy Hill is a current member of the board of the Tramore race track,” Ms. Phelan added.
“We will be having trainers from all over the country, of course, but there is always strong competition among the local guys to get winners here. Trainers like John Kiely, Jimmy mangan, David Kiely, Pat O’Flynn and John Quelly will be putting on a special effort for the Festival.”
The racing starts tomorrow at 5.20pm and the Irish Examiner sponsors a big handicap hurdle on the card.
However, tomorrow’s event is based around the Waterford hurlers, this year’s All-Ireland quarter-finalists. All the squad members will be on hand to sign autographs and meet their fans with record crowds expected.
Friday’s main race is the Richard Power Bookmakers Handicap Hurdle - a race uniquely won on three consecutive occasions by Mullins - and the theme of the evening for racegoers is ‘shorts and shades.’
Saturday is Ladies Day and the organisers are already inundated with calls about the big prizes on offer, while on the track the big event of the evening will be the Newbridge Silverware Handicap Hurdle and the big chase of the evening is the Land Rover Steeplechase.
Racing on Sunday starts at 2pm and this is Family Day, with on-track and off-track activities aimed at both parents and children.
With some €350,000 in prize money on offer, trainers will be anxious to do well at the festival and, given the tight and undulating nature of the track which suits some horses and not others, many horses will have been specifically laid out for a tilt at some of the big money prizes on offer.
“We know that Dermot Weld has laid out the likes of Lowlander for the Festival and other classy performers like Warrens Castle will also be at the Festival, so the quality of the racing will be top drawer,” Ms. Phelan said.
Indeed, and in recognition of the fact that the horses are central to the whole festival, the organising committee have come up with a unique award to recognise the efforts of animals at the track.
The first horse to be accorded the honour is the recently retired Dariole, who was a five-time winner at the August Festival at Tramore and he, along with his owners, the Rathcoffey Syndicate, will be given a special presentation to mark his achievement.
According to Sue Phelan, the festival has been a huge success and the organising committee are doing their best to ensure its growth.
“Tramore is one of the leading domestic holiday venues and the August Festival will hopefully complement that fact by offering something for everyone over the four days.
“It is a very people-friendly meeting and is a great social as well as sporting occasion,” she commented.
